
Kingsmill Park, ancient home of Inverness Thistle. Source.
Morton visit Inverness CT at Caledonian Stadium where they have never won a game. In 9 visits Morton have 2 draws and 7 losses.
2017-18 is two-thirds over. After 24 league matches Morton have 10 wins, 8 draws and 6 losses, 34 goals for and 23 against. (They lead the division in that last category.) At this pace they'll end the season with 57 points.
Even with a loss today Morton cannot drop below fourth place. If Morton win today they will have beaten both Challenge Cup finalists in the same week.
Morton are in the process of signing forward John Baird from ICT. He has played for Clyde, St Mirren, Stenny, Montrose, Brechin, Airdrie, Raith, Dundee, Partick, Queen of the South, Falkirk and ICT.
ICT are in seventh position and could fall to eighth today depending on ---
The other match of the day: Falkirk [0 - 0] Dumbarton.
[Morton win 0 - 2. Goals by Tiffoney and Harkins. Morton take over third place. Also, Brechin cannot earn promotion.]
Inverness Caledonian Thistle was formed in 1994 from two crosstown rivals, Caledonian and Inverness Thistle. Both were members of the Highland League from its foundation in 1893. Caledonian won the Highland League title 18 times, Thistle 8 times. Caledonian won the Highland League Cup 5 times, Thistle 3. Caledonian won the North of Scotland Cup 20 times, Thistle 13. Inverness CT have continued to participate in the North of Scotland Cup and have won it 4 times.
We're lucky Inverness CT weren't named Inverness United. The world is filling up with soccer teams named United. What we're witnessing is an excelerated form of the Galton-Watson process of surname extinction in which both surnames die out.
Ayr United is an extreme example of club name extinction. Ayr Academy and Ayr Eglinton merged to form Ayr Academicals. Ayr Academicals and Ayr Thistle merged to form Ayr FC. Finally Ayr FC and Ayr Parkhouse merged to form Ayr United.
1978-79. On February 19th Morton met St Johnstone at Cappielow in Round Three of the Scottish Cup. The game ended in a 1 - 1 draw, necessitating a replay. Andy Ritchie scored on a penalty shot.
On February 24th Morton were away to Easter Road where they played Hibs to a 1 - 1 draw. Bobby Thomson scored.
1933-34. On February 24th Morton visited East Stirlingshire at Firs Park and won 0 - 2.
1944-45. It was the Southern League Cup. Morton found themselves in Section 3 with Queen's Park, Hamilton Accies and the old Airdrieonians. On this date Morton hosted Queen's Park, who pulled out a 0 - 2 win.
What are the clubs of East Ayrshire?
SPFL: Kilmarnock FC.
SJFA West Super League Premier Division: Auchinleck Talbot, Glenafton Athletic, Cumnock Juniors, Hurlford United.
SJFA West Super League First Division: Darvel Juniors.
Ayrshire District League: Craigmark Burtonians, Lugar Boswell Thistle, Muirkirk Juniors.
The West Region is due to undergo restructuring thus summer, so enjoy the Ayrshire District League while it still exists.
It's the CONCACAF Champions League, Round of 16, first leg. Let's follow the two clubs we have met already: Cibao, winners of the 2017 Caribbean Club Championship, and Olimpia, winners of the 2017 CONCACAF League, plus Toronto FC because Canada. We'll see how far they get. This cup is always won by a Mexican club.
Olimpia 1 - 1 New York Red Bulls
Cibao 0 - 2 Guadalajara
Colorado Rapids 0 - 2 Toronto FC
Europa League Round of 32, second leg:
Zenit 3 - 0 Celtic
Celtic are out.
Arsenal 1 - 2 Östersund
But Arsenal advance on aggregate score.
AFC Champions League, Group Stage, matchday 2:
Group E: Kashiwa Reysol 1 - 1 Tianjin Quanjian
Group F: Ulsan Hyundai 2 - 1 Kawasaki Frontale
Group G: Cerezo Osaka 0 - 0 Guangzhou Evergrande
Group H: Suwon Samsung Bluewings 0 - 1 Kashima Antlers
I intend to follow Tokyo 23 FC this year. They play in the Kantō Soccer League Division One, part of the fifth tier of Japanese football, making them roughly equal to Vanraure Hachinohe and ReinMeer Aomori of the Tohoku League. They've spent February training. Tomorrow they play a friendly against [former] league rivals Aries FC (spelled エリースFC, which Google Translate consistently and charmingly turns into Elise FC ).
The League of Ireland First Division begins play today. 2018 is the first year for the new 10-team format. Later on I'll work up some stats to see if the LOI First Dvision can knock off the Swiss Challenge League as the division most like the Scottish Championship.
In the meantime it's UCD [2 - 1] Shelbourne, a Dublin derby.
I also mean to follow Malmö FF, as Fouad Bachirou is now a player there. Currently they're involved in the group stage of the 2017-18 Svenska Cupen. Rounds One and Two were played last June and August. Malmö's results were:
R1 bye
R2 FC Trollhättan 1 - 4 Malmö FF
Malmö are in Group One along with IF Brommapojkarna, Dalkurd FF and Gefle IF. Last week it was:
Malmö 1 - 0 Dalkurd
Tomorrow it's:
Gefle [0 - 3] Malmö
And while we're at it let's follow our old pals Mito HollyHock, who are still in J2 and maybe always will be:
Mito HollyHock [3 - 0] Montedio Yamagata
Morton visit Cumbernauld Colts in Round One of the SWFL Division One Cup. [Cumbernauld 5 - 3 Morton.]
Abruzzo: L'Aquila [0 - 0] Francavilla
SJFA West First Division: Rutherglen Glencairn [0 - 0] Largs Thistle
Regionalliga Südwest: 1. FC Saarbrücken [2 - 2] Mainz II

Telford Street Park, Caledonian's erstwhile home ground. Source.